Thai taxi driver kills American man over $2 fare: police

[hubag bohol]

AP
JULY 09, 2013 12:13AM



Thai taxi driver Chidchai Utmacha shows during a police re-enactment in Bangkok how he stabbed an American passenger, Troy Lee Pilkington, to death. Source: AP


THAI police announced Monday that they have arrested a Bangkok taxi driver accused of stabbing an American passenger to death in an argument over a fare worth less than $2.

[hubag bohol]

Police Lieutenant Colonel Teerayut Maiplaeng said the 32-year-old taxi driver confessed that he pulled a 30cm machete from his trunk and repeatedly slashed Troy Lee Pilkington, who allegedly got out of the taxi and refused to pay a 51 baht ($1.78) fare.

Video footage from a surveillance camera captured part of the altercation, which took place Saturday on Bangkok's busy Sukhumvit Road. The footage shows the taxi driver swinging a machete as the other man flails his arms and tries to grab the driver. The two men then move out of the camera's view. Seconds later, the sword-wielding driver reappears in the frame as he flees the scene.

Pilkington, 51, worked for the American machinery company Caterpillar Inc and had lived in Thailand for at least three years, Lt. Col. Teerayut said.

[hubag bohol]

The taxi driver, Chidchai Utmacha, told investigators that Pilkington accused him of rigging the taxi's meter and then stormed out of the cab while they sat in traffic. He claimed the American threw a cup of coffee at him when he asked for the money, after which he pulled the knife from his trunk and chased after Pilkington.

Police identified the driver from the video footage and arrested him at his house on Sunday.

Chidchai is facing charges of murder and carrying a weapon in public without reasonable cause.

[hubag bohol]

Taxi driver Chidchai Utmacha, 32, sits handcuffed in a taxi after being returned to the Bangkok crime scene where his passenger was killed.

[hubag bohol]

Luoy ang gipatay, luoy pud ang gapatay.

[Raquelproud boholana]

Caterpillar worker dagko kaayo ni ug sweldo(sa tinuod lang basta caterpillar worker dagko jud ni sila ug sweldo samot na ug ing retire na ni) nganong gatinihik natakbasan nuon.

[islander]

hahay.  kadaghan ba anig angay mahayan hitaboa.  for a few dollars more, unforgiven, sudden impact, true crime... maayo untag clint eastwood ang starring kay movie only.  this is real life, and real life is lost while the other could be wasted in jail.  paita.

[Lorenzo]

may his soul rest in peace.

[MikeLigalig.com]

paita pud ni nga kamatayon. tungod lang sa 51 baht. naay mga gagmay nga butang nga ato nalang pasagdan kay wa ta kahibalo unsay daghan sa utok aning ubang tawo.

[islander]

true gyod uy.  kapila na baya ko maleksyone ani.  moingon kog kapila kay ang mahay awahi.  as usual, there is genius in hindsight.  nasuong kog dagkong problema kay gagmay nga bikil akong gidaginot.

pareha ani tawon... surely, it was a matter of principle on the part of the american.  he didn't like it that he felt he'd been had.  51 baht couldn't kill him.  what he didn't figure out was the one who wanted the 51 baht could kill him, and he did.

[islander]

as for taxi drivers, ayaw na lang gyod kun sa manila.  bisan sa cebu, naa gyod intawoy purya pa.  it may still take a generation for taxi drivers in our big cities here to become courteous and professional.

sa airport sa manila, always take the yellow airport taxi, bahalag taas ug linya ug ang flagdown 70 pesos.  ayaw anang naay reps (kanang manawag) kay lupig pay limousine ang presyo.  ayaw pod anang imo lang parahon kay i-tour ka ug isaag.

[hubag bohol]

hahay.  kadaghan ba anig angay mahayan hitaboa.  for a few dollars more, unforgiven, sudden impact, true crime...

Naa pay "Dalawang Balanghoy Ka Kang"...